Dual dispensing mode carton and concomitant package

Abstract

A dual dispensing mode carton for, for example, a stack of interfolded sheets of facial tissue. The carton has a dispensing opening which is configured and disposed to enable substantially droop-free pop-up dispensing of one sheet at a time with improved sheet to sheet stand-up height uniformity as successive sheets are withdrawn from the carton; and group mode dispensing of a plurality of sheets simultaneously without having to disassociate them from each other. A dispensing package is also provided which comprises such a dispensing carton having a stack of interfolded sheets disposed therein.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A dispensing carton for interfolded sheets which carton comprises integral stationary means for enabling selective dual mode dispensing of said sheets through a single dispensing opening in a stationary wall portion of said carton: substantially droop-free pop-up dispensing of one sheet at a time, or group mode dispensing of a plurality of sheets as a group without having to disassociate them from each other, said carton being sized to contain a bundle of interfolded sheets, said carton having top, front, rear, bottom and end walls, said means for selective dual mode dispensing comprising means for defining a mushroom-shape dispensing opening comprising an elongate head portion which is centrally disposed in said top wall of said carton and which has a non-linear back edge, a stem portion which extends downwardly through a medial portion of said front wall of said carton, and a flared portion having arcuate edges disposed intermediate said head portion and said stem portion, said opening being configured to be sufficiently constrictive with respect to withdrawing single sheets therethrough to enable substantially droop-free pop-up dispensing of one sheet at a time, and sufficiently non-constrictive to enable withdrawal of a plurality of said interfolded sheets as a group without having to disassociate them from each other, and said head portion being so disposed that its major axis is coextensive with the lengthwise centerline of said top wall. 
     
     
       2. The dispensing carton of claim 1 wherein said sheets are facial tissues, and said head portion of said dispensing opening is substantially elliptical-shape. 
     
     
       3. The dispensing carton of claim 1 wherein the length of said head portion is from about sixty to about eighty percent of the length of said carton, and said head portion has a minor axis length of from about fifteen to about thirty percent of the length of said major axis; said stem portion having generally parallel side edges which are spaced apart a distance of from about ten percent to about twenty percent of the length of said carton; and said flared portion having a width at its flared intersection with said head portion of from about thirty to about fifty percent of the length of said carton, and having a radius of from about fifteen to about twenty percent of the length of said carton. 
     
     
       4. The dispensing carton of claim 1 wherein said stem portion intersects the juncture between said front wall and said top wall, and extends orthogonally into said top wall therefrom whereby the intersection of said stem portion and said flared portion is spaced from the juncture of said front wall with said top wall. 
     
     
       5. The dispensing carton of claim 1 wherein said means for defining said dispensing opening is a smoothly contoured cut edge about the entire perimeter of said dispensing opening. 
     
     
       6. The dispensing carton of claim 1 wherein said means for defining said dispensing opening is a smoothly contoured removable panel. 
     
     
       7. A dispensing package for interfolded sheets, said package comprising a bundle of interleaved said sheets and a dispensing carton, said carton comprising integral stationary means for enabling selective dual mode dispensing of said sheets through a single dispensing opening: substantially droop-free pop-up dispensing of one sheet at a time, or group mode dispensing of a plurality of said sheets as a group without having to disassociate them from each other, said carton having top, front, rear, bottom and end walls, said means for selective dual mode dispensing comprising means for defining a mushroom-shape dispensing opening comprising an elongate head portion which is centrally disposed in said top wall of said carton and which has a non-linear back edge, a stem portion which extends downwardly through a medial portion of said front wall of said carton, and a flared portion disposed intermediate said head portion and said stem portion, said opening being configured to be sufficiently constrictive with respect to withdrawing single sheets therethrough to enable substantially droop-free pop-up dispensing of one sheet at a time, and sufficiently non-constrictive to enable withdrawal of a plurality of said interfolded sheets as a group without having to disassociate them from each other, and said head portion being so disposed that its major axis is coextensive with the lengthwise centerline of said top wall. 
     
     
       8. The dispensing package of claim 7 wherein said sheets are facial tissues, and said head portion of said dispensing opening is substantially elliptical-shape. 
     
     
       9. The dispensing package of claim 7 wherein the length of said head portion is from about sixty to about eighty percent of the length of said carton, and said head portion has a minor axis length of from about fifteen to about thirty percent of the length of said major axis; said stem portion having generally parallel side edges which are spaced from about ten percent to about twenty percent of the length of said carton; and said flared portion having a width at its flared intersection with said head portion of from about thirty to about fifty percent of the length of said carton, and having a radius of from about fifteen to about twenty percent of the length of said carton. 
     
     
       10. The dispensing package of claim 7 wherein said stem portion intersects the juncture between said front wall and said top wall, and extends orthogonally into said top wall therefrom whereby the intersection of said stem portion and said flared portion is spaced from the juncture of said front wall with said top wall. 
     
     
       11. The dispensing package of claim 7 wherein said means for defining said dispensing opening is a smoothly contoured cut edge about the entire perimeter of said dispensing opening. 
     
     
       12. The dispensing package of claim 7 wherein said means for defining said dispensing opening is a smoothly contoured removable panel.